Impossible is Impossible

This blog is my way of reflecting upon life. Life is about living and learning. As I live and learn I’m going to reflect upon this life I lead. Hopefully I'll offer something insightful with my postings. If you learn nothing else from me, know this that “impossible is impossible”.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

The Inspiration

So if you've ever watched, heard of HBO's "The Wire" you know the inspiration for the show is all things Baltimore from the gritty drug culture, to the seedy politics, to the unfortunate realities of a city plagued with as many societal ills as any other large heavily African-American city. The beauty of the wire is that the show is a ripped from the headlines based show full of tidbits and nuances which make the show all the more real.

So yesterday I met Nerese Campbell, the fictitious City Council President fashioned after our former City Council President.




Just kidding, who I really met was the inspiration for Nerese Campbell, our current Mayor.



Here was our exchange.

The Mayor: Do we have a student with us?
Me: Yes, I'm an intern.
The Mayor: What school?
Me: Loyola College
The Mayor: Good school.
Me: Yeah.
The Mayor: Are you from around here?
Me: Yes.
The Mayor: What high school?
Me: McDonogh
The Mayor: So is this what you want to do?
Me: Yes.
The Mayor: Interesting profession. (she said it in such a serious but suggestive tone it was indicative of her view of the media, of journalists)
Me: (Laughing) Yes, it is.

It was actually my second time meeting the Mayor, I met her way back when she was a City Councilwoman.

Monday, January 28, 2008

If Someone ...



So if someone you never really talk to, rarely even see, sends out a message, what does it mean?

Is it simply a hello?

Is it more than that?

Is it an invitation to say more than hello next time?

I don't know Valentine's Day is coming up and I don't want it to be as I heard it referred to "Single Awareness Day".

I don't even want to wade into the territory of crushes, or cuddle buddies, or anything more than just friends. Quite honestly I don't have the time, the resources, the patience, but mostly the time.

But it was nice being flattered and entertaining the notion. If only for a fleeting moment.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Words of the Week

Sunday- “We live in illusion and the appearance of things. There is a reality. We are that reality. When you understand this, you see that you are nothing, and being nothing, you are everything. That is all.” -Kalu Rinpoche

Monday- “I laugh, I love, I hope, I try, I hurt, I need, I fear, I cry. And I know you do the same things too, So we're really not that different, me and you.” - Colin Raye

Tuesday- "We have been taught to believe that negative equals realistic and positive equals unrealistic." -Susan Jeffers

Wednesday- "Chase after truth like hell and you'll free yourself, even though you never touch its coat-tails." -Clarence Darrow

Thursday- "Have you heard that it was good to gain the day? I also say it is good to fall, battles are lost in the same spirit in which they are won." -Walt Whitman

Friday-"Respect a man, he will do the more." -James Howell

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Last Week

Sunday- I got back from Texas at around 11:00pm, got picked up from the airport around 11:45. I then rode around for forever before finding a Mickey D's. I grabbed food and went back to the dorm at around 12:30. I ate, checked e-mail, tried to plan out my schedule. At around 3:00 I had to go into the hall and yell at some kids who were being too loud, because they had the day off.

Monday- I went into my internship on MLK Day when the whole school was off because my super told me too. She said there would still be work for me to do. You know what I did? NOTHING. It all started when one reporter refused to allow me to go out with him. It was a cop out. Then the next reporter agreed to take me along, and nicely left me. Then I ended up sitting at the assignment desk. They made me do beat calls on a holiday, which means either people didn't answer or they just said nothing was going on. I was not feeling it. They sent me home early, thank God. Then I ran errands, then I had a meeting. After the meeting I came back and watched the Georgetown men's b-ball game. One of my friends from high school plays for the team. Then I talked to my friend La and her boyfriend. LoL. It's sad when people cannot go without having a conversation without their significant other. One of the first things out of her mouth was, "Do you mind if Dexter is on the phone with us?" I didn't care cause I went to school with both her and her boyfriend. The three of us caught up on life. They tried to recruit me to be part of "The Challenge", more on that later.

Tuesday- I had to meet with one of my professors about my Independent Study, which will involve researching student motivations of black prep school students. I'll investigate their motivations for choosing prep schools and what motivates them when it comes time to choose what colleges they go too. My topic was inspired by the sociological theory paper I wrote last semester which centered on intragroup conflict within the black populations at black schools. My independent study will expand on that topic in establishing whether intragroup conflict affects both.

Then I met with my advisor about what was expected in the Capstone course which he is teaching. I also discussed ditching my internship which I am not a fan of in the least.

That day I had my first full day of classes for the semester I had the Magazine Publishing course which is the Capstone for Comm majors with a journalism concentration.

Then I had my course in Criminal Justice.

That night we had an R.A. meeting, then I talked on the phone, and went to bed.

Wednesday- I went to my internship even though I hate it. I ended out going out with an African-American reporter. She let me get some M.O.S. which stands for man on the street, which means we stood and interviewed people at random about the topic of our reporter. Later we stopped off at Mickey D's, I had nuggets for the first time in forever, then we sat in the news car doing nothing. Then the photog and I went inside a store and walked around to kill time. Then we sat in the news car doing nothing. Eventually the live truck arrived. The reporter wrote and voiced her package, and while she did all that she told me to write my own story. While she got all dolled up for her live shot she listened to my report. She said it was good, because I obviously knew structure and stuff. I watched her do her first live shot. Then I peaced out and headed back to the station.

I ended my night by being on duty.

Thursday: I ran errands all day. I then went to make resume tapes to send out so I could be critiqued by news vets.

I ended my night by being on duty. I ended up writing up 5 people for drinking, three of them were my own residents. It was the first time I had written up my own residents. My duty partner and I ended up ordering food from S'ghetti Eddie's. After we ate I wrote up the report, watched Mona Lisa Smile, and went to bed.

Friday: I had an 10 A.M. meeting, which was cancelled. I had a teleconference at 11:30 A.M. Then I did some research for a friend, met up with said friend. Then I headed to the campus T.V. station for a meeting with the manager, who wants me to advise him. After that I met my best friend @ LoCo whose name is also Chris. We actually went to S'ghetti Eddie's a) because it's in walking distance b) because it takes campus bucks, c) because I had to be back at 8 P.M. for my third consecutive night of duty. That's the only thing about going out of town, it forces me to stack up duties in one or two weeks of a month.

Saturday: Chilled with a friend, had to meet with one of my residents about a roommate problem, talked to my mom, watched some of the S.C. Democratic primary coverage, and began cleaning my room for the first time since I came back to campus on the 14th.

So a busy week or jam packed week is why I haven't blogged on the regular.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Back From Texas

Day 1 Thursday: Arrive, Take in a Spurs Game
Day 2 Friday: Board Meeting, Dinner @ The Vault, Hang Time @ Our Hotel
Day 3: Board Meeting, Dinner @ The Vault, Hang Time @ Our Hotel
Day 4: Board Meeting, Take in The Alamo, Departure





The Alamo



Drinks and Dinner @ The Vault, an old bank




Hanging out with mi compradres

Monday, January 21, 2008

Blah

So I am back in Baltimore.

I got back at about 11:00 last night.

The flights weren't that bad. I am however not a fan of some of my fellow travellers. On flight one people stared at me, and some yeah I wanted to be like, "WTF u lookin at?" But I maintained my composure.

On flight two there was a large group of students who I couldn't tell if they were high school or college kids, just too loud, and obnoxious to have been on a plane with other people.

Then there are the people you come across in the airport. These fools use the restrooms and don't wash their hands. That's just trife.

So after I arrived the plan was to get something quick to eat, get back to campus, check my e-mail, and go to bed.

Here's what happened at Mickey D's #1

My Aunt ordering for me: May I have two double cheeseburgers, a McValue fry, apple pie, and sweet tea.
Mickey D's Girl: We are on our Late Night menu, we only have numbers 2 through 9, no dollar menu.
My Aunt: So can I have a number 2.
Mickey D's Girl: Let me see if they have that.
My Aunt: OK.
Me: Didn't she just say pick from 2 through 9?
Mickey Ds Girl: I'm sorry, I've just being informed that we're closing.

Well I'll be damned. Ignorant asses. Pissed me off.

Then we drove past a Mickey D's that wasn't 24 hours.

Then we went to another one, close to my house, though I was headed back to school. This time they shorted us change, then a guy jumped us in line, sat there for 10 minutes, and got food he didn't pay for.

I'm too through because I have a 7:30 wake up call.

I've got to be the only intern, interning on a holiday.

I don't even think the other interns have started yet.

This is just crazy.

So I guess I need to go to sleep.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Internship

So I forgot to write about the first day of my internship on Wednesday.

It's kind of funny because I show up hella early and what do they tell me to do, but chill for like 30 minutes.

Then I sit through the morning meeting, which was not exciting at all. It was like many people dreaded it. Well I can relate cause when I had my last internship morning meetings were horrid.

Then I spent some time chilling at the assignment desk and being introduced to different folks. I'll certainly have to get better with names. Then I chilled out for a bit.

In the afternoon I went out with one of the reporters who had two shoots for a series she does. That was coo because I got to spend some time talking to her and learning about her career path.

Then we got back, I checked in with an old friend who works at the station, then I went home.

I'm now in Texas for a meeting. So imagine a 7 am wake up call, internship from 9 am to 6 pm. Then imagine the next 6 to 9 hours spent meeting with people, catching up with with people, eating, packing, falling asleep, and getting to the airport for a 7:00am flight. I'm so not a fan of flights before like say 10 am.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Life Planner

I used to be a person who lived and died by lists. My life was a lot simpler then. Each week I would schedule out my week, and then I'd do day by day. I'd place my daily agenda in a see through sheath and refer back to as needed. Having a daily planner turned into having a life planner.

These days my schedule scares me

M Internship from 9:00am til atleast 6:00, possibly 6:30
Tu Class from 3 to 9:30 with a break
W Internship from 9:00am til atleast 6:00, possibly 6:30
Th Independent Study
F Possibly Free

That doesn't include work for the Association serving my fellow journalists, doesn't include being an R.A., doesn't include job search, doesn't include other extracurriculars.

Oh and someone wants me to possibly intern for them, and better than my M, W internship, there may be money involved.

But I digress this week alone it seems like isn't fair.

In a few hours I have to wake up, shower, get dressed, catch the bus to my alma mater and co-facilitate a diversity and student leadership training. Then I have to hustle back to class. Then tomorrow night I have back to back R.A. meetings.

Then all day Wednesday its internship, then meetings from 7 til about 9:30, then I have to pack.

Then I have an early wake up call for a 7am flight to San Antonio.

Then its business meetings all day Friday and Saturday.

Then Sunday is travel day.

Then Monday though school is out, I have my internship.

Oh and there's a few meetings I'm missing.

There's a senior event I'm missing involving alcohol, a renovated former bank, and tons and tons of debauchery. Seldomly do I look forward to such chaos but I am missing "The Bank Bash". Damn.

But oh well I guess I'll have to find a way or two to make up for it.

Club Etiquette

So apparently I don't know club etiquette.

So on a recent excursion the following happened:

Girl: So, are you just going to sit there all night or what? You aren't going to dance.
Me: Ummm yeah pretty much, I mean I can't dance.

Girl scoofs and precedes to walk off.

Me: What? Atleast I'm being honest right? Give a brother some credit.

Girl: So how'd you get down here.
Guy: Oh I took the bus.
Girl: So, how you getting home.
Guy: Good question, depends on when I leave.
Girl: I say take a cab.

I took the hint.

But who knew you were suppposed to lie?

Excuse me embellish.

Yeah, I don't know when the next excursion will be. Though it cracks me up when people say they want to take me out and get me drunk. Oh no I am not your entertainment. Call your usual drunk people, because I shall maintain my dignity.
Thanks.

For more laughs:

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Words of the Week

Sunday- "Of all the important things in your life, the one that matters most is your idea of God." - Rev. Run

Monday- "YCDA. You can do anything." - Michael Clark Duncan

Tuesday- "You're either a taker or a caretaker." - Unknown

Wednesday- "Go deep inside yourself, find out what really matters and what is true for you and let that be your path." -John Oates

Thursday- "It is always better to form the habit of learning how to see things for yourself, listen to things for yourself, and think for yourself; then you are in a better position to judge for yourself." - Malcolm X

Friday- "You can win if you got the heart and tenacity and soul to keep on trying." -Miles Davis

Saturday- "Laughter is the closest distance between two people." - Victor Borge

Saturday, January 12, 2008

I've Been Tagged

Tag I'm It...thanks to Mimz aka MemphizSoul bka Mimi

Two Names you go by:
1. Goody (my childhood nickname, story available upon request)
2. Christopher

Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1. Jeans
2. Black t-shirt

Two Things You Would Want (or have) in a Relationship:
1. Authenticity
2. Support

Two of your favorite things to do:
1. Read
2. Take part in intellectual conversations

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. Money
2. To lose like 20 pounds

Two pets you had/have:
1. Uh no
2. Don't do animals

Two people you think will fill this out:
1. Maybe Epsilonicus
2. Maybe Kristen

Two things you did last night:
1. Went out for dessert with my friend Jen
2. Listened to music

Two things you ate today:
1. A bagel
2. Turkey, mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes

Two people you last talked to:
1. Terrell (my mentee)
2. Heather ( a fellow RA)

Two things you're doing tomorrow:
1. Open the dorms
2. Read for pleasure, forget academics

Two longest car rides:
1. Maryland to Illinois
2. Maryland to South Carolina

Two favorite holidays:
1. 4th of July because of cookouts
2. My birthday (yes it's a holiday, I agree with Mimi)

Favorite beverages:
1. Mango/ Orange Carrott Sobe's (PG)
2. Soco and Lime (adult)

Person no longer alive who you'd like to talk to:
1. My Grandma
2. Thurgood Marshall

Tagged: Whoever... (Maybe Eps or Kristen)

Friday, January 11, 2008

Back at School

So I'm back at school.

We have two days of R.A training. As I said before I don't know what they are going to teach me that I don't already know.

After an afternoon of doing different reflection activities, we went out to dinner. We went to Towson Diner, which is apparently a staple for LoCo students, but I'd never been there. Go figure. My mother says I'm a contrarian and always say what I'm not going to do. She's right. But I never follow people. I didn't get to where I am by following other people, rather than leading my own path. I ended up having a cheese burger deluxe, which equalled a burger, fries, and cole slaw. It was all good.

Later we had to stop by a gathering of all the RA's with some booty doo karoke. Ummm pass.

So I went back to the dorm and I helped a friend move back in to the dorm. We made like three trips from her car to her dorm room. My homie had a lot of stuff. So we decided to take a ride in search of dessert. Instead of searching for a place we decided on one of her favorite spots Bill Bateman.

I interrupt this blog to announce I like this song, which was playing on the car ride to Bateman's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6_Pwu9DFBM

Natasha Bedingfield's "Love Like This"

I concede, I'm probably late, but I don't listen to the radio. I'm too busy doing other stuff.

Back to the blog...

So she treated me to dessert at Bill Bateman's. Yeah it's the wing lace but it also has good wings. I don't remember what we shared but it involved a chocolate chip cookie baked in a skillet topped with ice cream, and fudge. Delish.

What wasn't delish. The stares I got from jump. As soon as I walked into the place stares and glares. Damn, can't be seen with a white woman? The hostess looked like she wanted to say something. Then there was a black couple sitting a table away, after staring for a minute they got over. Then enter a younger black couple and the woman at the table did not stop eyeing me. I was like damn, see something you like.

Yeah, I was a little bothered by it.

I love black love.

I finally got around to watching "Will You Marry Me" on Essence.com

It was coo my fave couple Davon and Nerisse, yes, I agreed with J's sugestion. My second favorite Demetrius and Chrissy. But I def liked Davon's proposal the best.

I'm all for black love but people need to get over their perceptions of what's legit or not.

First, I wasn't on a date. Second, if I were to date outside my race I don't think I should be looked at as a science experiment. Nor should I be shot "that look", which equals the look of scorn.

People irkin me already making me count down til I jet for San Antonio.

What's even better is that once I get back I have a day off. We're celebrating MLK Day on the 21st. It actually sucks because although I don't have class, I just realized I don't have class anyways. Monday's is one of the days for the internship and I'll probably have to go in, cause the news doesn't give the day off. There goes sleeping in!

Holla.

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Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Barry or Hillary

Last night a lot of people were shocked that Hillary Clinton won the New Hampshire primary instead of Barack Obama.

A lot of people have asked how he lost a supposed double digit lead.

I question whether or not there was in fact a double digit lead in Obama's favor. If Hillary Clinton had been leading polling for a whole year, did Obama really have momentum? Just because he won in Iowa I don't think we can say he had momentum. Yeah more people were paying attention. More people saw him as a viable candidate, but i think people overhyped it. Hmmm.

You know what happens when you hype up a person or a thing, when you blow that bubble up. A bubble bursts. So now some may suggest Obama had a few missteps and lost his way. I hink instead Hillary found her step, and got reinvigorated.

Yeah, she's polarizing but I don't think she's easily defeatable. Vulnerable, maybe. But I don't see either Clinton or Obama getting a overwhelming mandate.

I'm not a political scientist but I see competitition as healthy.

Clinton and Obama I see as duking it out atleast until Super Tuesday. At the same time some people are saying they see fractured conventions where they are some back room deals, and a lot of politicing to unite the party.

Wow, the Dems really have it hard. They have choose between legacies do they want to be known for putting forth a woman for president or an African-American.

For me it'd be even more heartening if diversity were represented on both the Democratic and Republican sides.

I know one thing it'll be interesting.

Atleast the contest has inspired some to dream, dreams once thought to be impossible.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17902953

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

A Fake Noose

Oh this story made me sick

School Dayz

Someone told me they think I'd make a good teacher, not if this is what I'd have to deal with...

Monday, January 07, 2008

My Mother

My mother calls her

"My should be daughter in law."

I used to call her

"My future wife"

I don't think she will be called anything.

Maybe it wasn't a bright idea to entertain the notion.

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Those Words

"You know SHE BROKE UP with him, right?"

Were those words an invitation for me to go back in time? To go to that place I hadn't allowed myself to go for well about a minute. Was it an invitation to reclaim or rather claim a love lost?

My friends tell me we don't go back in time.

One said, "You can go ahead and give it a try if you want to, and report back to us on your failed attempt."

Another said," That is something we do not do. We do not go back, we don't go back in time. We just don't."

All the naysayers could do is give me reasons why not. The reality is I couldn't myself think up reasons why.

But still existed the idea, the seed planted in my head by those words.

Breaks are for TV

So apparently breaks from school are for catching up on T.V.

I remember my television viewing habits first got disrupted in middle school. I had a 5:45 a.m. wake up call and had to be at school at 7:30 a.m. I didn't out of school til about 5:00, would leave school by 5:15, and wouldn't hit my doorway until between 6 and 6:30 thanks to the subway ride to the bus ride home. So when I finally hit the doorway I would go up to my room watch the evening news usually with Tom or Peter. Then I would eat dinner and start homeowrk. Whatever came on T.V. past 8:00 would be what kept me company as I busted out homework. I remember many a day falling asleep on my bed with the books under me and the T.V. still on. My mother would always come in and turn the T.V. off. I'd always wake up at like 4:00 a.m. to finish whatever homework didn't get done the night before.

Then when it was time to go to high school it was off to boarding school. In high school the only shows I remember watching pretty reguarly were whatever came on UPN Monday nights from Eve to Girlfriends to All of Us to One on one. Then there were my staples such as Boston Public and Judging Amy. My mother would tape everything and I would watch it on the weekend visits home.

Then in college I kind of started watching T.V. again. For the last several years it's really been all about Grey's. But now between classes, working after school, being an R.A., and other commitments I again can't keep up with everything.

Thanks to online I can catch up on Grey's (sorry to the striking writers).

Thanks to cable news (on their good days) and thanks also to the Internet I'm never without the news.

Thanks to holiday marathons I've been able to catch up on:
Run's House
Life in the Fab Lane

Gotta love the Simmonses.

And thanks to TLC I've been produced to a new fave:

John and Kate Plus 8 on TLC
Gotta love folks who can raise that many kids and still be sane.

Also, it's been great to watch the MTV craziness such as True Life and even though I detest BET when I flip and "Hell Date" is on I'm occassionally entertained.

But sadly I don't have HBO so when "The Wire" returns tomorrow I'll be out of the loop. I might need to find somewhere with free HBO a bar or somewhere. I might not enjoy "The Wire" withdrawal.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Resolved

The only thing I resolve to do in '08 is to take care of myself. Perhaps its because I know I need to be more selfish, and more self-centered. I know such an odd statement, but such a true statement. I need to just do me in '08 so I resolve to do that, because it'll improve all parts of me.